Overview

The Liminal Custodian (designated H-REFLECT-17) is an extreme-threat anomalous entity responsible for 23 confirmed fatalities and an estimated 47 total casualties since its initial documentation by the Anomalous Containment Bureau (ACB) on March 12, 2024. Unlike conventional hostile entities that cause death through physical trauma, H-REFLECT-17 operates through a phenomenon classified as existential predation—the systematic erasure of a subject's identity from reality itself.

The entity manifests exclusively through reflective surfaces and advances toward victims only when direct observation is interrupted. Upon "contact" (a term used loosely, as no physical touching occurs), the victim undergoes what researchers term ontological collapse: their name becomes unrecognizable to all individuals including family members, all records (physical and digital) spontaneously corrupt or erase, photographs degrade to show empty space where the victim once stood, and in 34% of documented cases, the victim's physical body undergoes progressive tissue dissolution.

Most disturbingly, victims report remaining conscious throughout the initial stages of erasure, experiencing the psychological trauma of watching their own existence being systematically deleted from reality while their physical form begins to deteriorate at the cellular level. The few recovered audio logs from victims describe sensations of "unbecoming," "melting from memory," and "flesh forgetting how to be flesh."

Physical Description & Manifestation

Appearance in Reflective Mediums

H-REFLECT-17 appears as a humanoid figure standing approximately 6'8" (203 cm) tall with an unnaturally thin frame that suggests severe emaciation or structural abnormality beneath its clothing. The entity wears a water-damaged janitorial uniform (faded blue-gray) with perpetually wet cuffs that leave no visible moisture trail.

The entity's most distinctive and disturbing feature is its face—or rather, its lack thereof. Witnesses consistently describe a smooth, featureless surface where facial features should exist. However, this is not simply absence; observers report that looking at the entity's face causes intense discomfort, described as viewing "skin that forgot what faces were" or "a face actively trying not to exist." Some witnesses have experienced spontaneous nosebleeds and temporary blindness after prolonged observation.

Physical Effects on Observers

Direct observation of H-REFLECT-17 through reflective surfaces has been documented to cause immediate physiological responses:

• Acute nausea and vertigo (100% of observers)
• Epistaxis (nosebleeds) (67% of observers)
• Temporary vision impairment including blurred vision, scotomas, and in severe cases, temporary blindness lasting 5-30 minutes (34% of observers)
• Auditory hallucinations including whispers in an unknown language, repetition of the observer's name in distorted voices, and sounds described as "wet tearing" (45% of observers)
• Psychological effects including persistent derealization, identity confusion, and recurring nightmares involving loss of self (89% of observers experiencing lasting effects for 3-8 weeks post-exposure)

Erasure Mechanism

Stages of Dissolution

Stage 1: Digital Erasure (0-10 minutes post-contact)

The victim's digital presence begins to corrupt immediately upon entity contact. Employee databases return "NOT FOUND" errors, email addresses become undeliverable, and digital photographs spontaneously corrupt—first blurring the victim's face, then progressively erasing their entire form from images. Security footage shows the victim as a flickering, semi-transparent figure before complete disappearance.

Stage 2: Social Erasure (10-45 minutes post-contact)

Individuals who knew the victim begin experiencing what's clinically termed retroactive nominal aphasia—the inability to recall or speak the victim's name. When attempting to say the name, speakers report their tongue "refusing to form the sounds" or experiencing momentary paralysis of the vocal apparatus. Written attempts to record the name result in automatic hand cramping or, in digital formats, immediate text corruption.

Stage 3: Physical Degradation (45 minutes - 8 hours post-contact)

Stage 4: Complete Erasure (8+ hours post-contact)

In final stage, the victim's physical matter undergoes what appears to be retroactive non-existence. Bodies don't decompose—they simply cease to have ever been matter. Recovery teams report finding:

• Clothing arranged as if around an invisible form, with no trace of biological material
• Puddles of unidentifiable liquid that evaporate upon exposure to air, leaving no residue
• In 23% of cases, a vaguely humanoid outline in dried fluids that cannot be chemically analyzed
• No DNA, no cellular material, no trace of the victim ever having existed in physical form

Victim Testimony

"My fingers—they're still there, I can feel them, but when I look at my hands they're... translucent? Like smoke? I tried to pick up my phone and my hand just... passed through it. But I can still feel my bones. I can feel everything. Why can I still feel everything?"

— Victim H-17-V-008, approximately 25 minutes post-contact

"There's something wrong with my skin. It's not sitting right. It feels like it's sliding off but when I touch it, it's still there, but my hands go through— [sounds of distress] —oh god, I can see through my arm. I can see my bones but they're disappearing too. Why aren't I dead yet? Why won't it just let me die?"

— Victim H-17-V-014, approximately 90 minutes post-contact

"[Screaming, then heavy breathing] I tried to write my name. I know my name. I KNOW MY NAME. But my hand won't— [sound of retching] —there's blood coming out of my mouth but it's not red. It's not any color. It's disappearing before it hits the ground. I'm disappearing. I'm still here but I'm disappearing. Someone has to remember me. SOMEONE HAS TO—"

— Victim H-17-V-019, approximately 3 hours post-contact (final transmission)

Containment Procedures

Current containment protocols were developed following the deaths of 12 personnel during initial containment attempts. All procedures must be followed precisely—deviations have resulted in 100% casualty rate.

Red Light Protocol - Emergency Response

1. IMMEDIATE FREEZE: Cease all movement. Do not turn your head. Maintain current eye position.
2. ACTIVATE RED LIGHTS: Press emergency button. Red LED strips eliminate reflectivity.
3. MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT: If you can see the entity, DO NOT BREAK EYE CONTACT.
4. CALL FOR BACKUP: Use voice-activated comms only. Do not reach for radio.
5. SLOWLY RETREAT: Move backwards at 0.3 m/s maximum. Faster movement triggers pursuit.